Water-gage for marine boilers



A. H. ABLE. Water Gage-for Marine Boi1ers.,

No. 230,849. Patented Aug. 10,1880.

FIG-2.

WITNESSES: JNVENTOR 'ATTORNEY N, PETERS, PHQTO-LJTHOGRAFHER, WASHINGTON. D

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIC AUGUSTUS H. ABLE, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

WATER-GAGE FOR MARINE BOILERS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 230,849, dated August 10, 1880.

Application filed February 18. 1880.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, AUGUSTUSv HENRY ABLE, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in lVater-Gages for Marine Boilers, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a reservoir or cup for holding afluid communicating with a glass tube-gage for indicating the height of the highest heating or fire surface of a marine boiler when a ship has a list or is heeled over under a press of canvas. This gage is to be used in combination with the glass water-gages now in common use on marine boilers.

Heretofore an ordinary glass tube hasbeen used to indicate the height of the waterin marine boilers. WVhen a steamship is heeled over or deviates from her upright position the heatiiig surfaces of her boilers assume a position due to the heel of the ship, while the surface of the water within them remains parallel to the horizon. Under these conditions the outboard heating-surfaces of the boilers on the weatherside is raised and hasless water over them than when the ship is on an even keel. The water-tender, being anxious to keep his heating-surface well covered with water, puts on the feed, but has nothing to guide him except his judgment as to the height of the water required, and to be on the safe side frequently carriesthe water higher in the boiler than is necessary, causing the boilers to foam and carry water over into the cylinder of the engines and endangering their safety.

The object of my invention is to provide a glass gage by which the relative position of the highest heating-surface and the height of the water-level within the boiler may be seen at a glance.

In the accompanying drawings, in which similar letters of reference indicate like parts, Figure 1 is a view embodying my invention, and Fig. 2 is a side elevation.

G shows a glass water-gage connected with the water-gage-cock cylinder 0, attached to the front of the boiler B. The glass watergage G and the water-gagecock cylinder 0 arein communication with the water and steam space of the boiler B, and show the height of the water-level within it, and are such as are now in general use for that purpose.

T is a glass tube placed adjacent to G or on that the area of its cross-section will be greatly in excess of the area of the cross-section of the bore of the glass tube T, the bore of which may be made as small as one-eighth of one inch in diameter.

The operation of the device is as follows: The reservoir or cup B being filled with mercury, oil, or some other suitable fluid to the height it is desired to maintain the water over the highest heating-surface S, when the ship heels the reservoir or cup R is carried up with the outboard end of the boilers on the weather side. The areaof the'cross-section of the reservoir or cup It being so much greater than the area of the cross-section of the glass tube T, the liquid will rise and fall in the glass tube T and reservoir or cup B in an iiiverse ratio of the area of their respective cross-sections, thus making but a little fall of the fluid in the reservoir or cup R, while it rises to the maximum height in the glass tube T.

The level of the fluid in the reservoir or cup R with reference to the highest heating-surface S being practically constant, and the height of the fluid in the glass tube T being on a level with the fluid in the reservoir or cup B, it furnishes a true guide for the height of the water to be maintained in the glass watergage Gr communicating with the steam and water space of the boiler B.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

The reservoir or cup It for holding a fluid, communicating through the pipe P with the glass tube T, placed adjacent or on a level with and 'to be used in combination with the glass water-gage G, communicating with the water and steam space of the boiler B, as substantially set forth.

A. H. ABLE. [L. s]

Witnesses:

H. H. STEWART, J ACKSON McEHUELL. 

